Collection device.



F. w. LANCASTER.

COLLECTION DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 17. 1915.

1,176,372. Patented MA1.21,1916. 40 ,/f

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YCOLLZECLION DEVICE.

Application filed November 17, 1915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK W. LANCAS- TER, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county ofDuval, State of Florida, have invented certa-in new and usefulImprovements in Collection Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will en ableV others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the saine A This invention relates to collection devicesand particularly to devices of this character for use in churches.

The object of the invention is to provide a collection device designedto stimulate church contributions and embodying an improvedconstructiony for indicating those members of a church congregation whohave made their contribution and those members who have not.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a' collection `deviceadapted to be opened through the manipulation of a plurality of locksthe keys to which have been distributed to different persons so that thedevice can only be opened in the presence of all the -persons holdingkeys. A

'With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in whicl1- Figure 1 is afront elevation of a collection device constructed in accordance withthe invention; Fig. 2, a rear View of the device with the door in openposition; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 on an enlargedscale, and Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings the invention is shown as comprising a frame Aincluding a top member 10, and side members 11 and 12. Suitably mountedin this frame is a plurality of members B, C and D.

The member B is disposed uppermost and includes a top wall 13, a frontwall 14, and a Vbottom wall 15. The member B Jfurther includes sidewalls 16 engaged against the side members 11 and 12 respectively of theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

seria1n0.e2,oes.

frame A. The top, bottom and iront walls of the member B are connectedby partitions 17 dividing the member B linto compartments 18 in each ofwhich is mounted a lock 19 adapted to be operated through the medium ofa key inserted through a related key hole 20 in the front wall 14.

The member C is disposed beneath the member B and includes a front wall21, a bottom wall 22 and side walls 23, the latter engaging against theside members 11 and 12 of the frame A. The bottom and front walls of themember C are connected by a plurality of vertical partitions 24 formingcompartments 25. The front wall 21 of the member C eXtends upwardly intooverlapping relation to the front wall 14 of the member B so as to forma slot 26 through which coins are adapted to be inserted in a mannerthat will hereinafter appear. Extending' through the partitions 24 andinto Vthe side member 23 is a pvot rod 27 upon which is pivotallymounted an indicating lever 28 one of said levers being disposed in-eachcompartment 25.` The fori ward end of each lever 28 is provided with anindicating finger 29 adapted to travel in a related vertical slot 30formed in the front wall 21. Rising from the bottom 22 and disposed ineach compartment 25 is aguide rod 31 which is engaged in a recess 32 inthe rear end of the indicating lever 28. This indicating lever 28 isprovided with a central opening 33 through which the pivoted rod 27passes. Secured to this pivot rod within the opening 33 of each lever 28is one end of a coin slide-way 34 the other end ot' which bears againstthe inner side of the front wall 21 just beneath a shoulder 35 formed onsaid front wall. Above each slot 30 there is indicated the name of theperson who is to deposit a coin in the related compartment 25. Thisindication is of course on the outer side of the front wall 21. Alsoindicated on the outer side of the front wall 2l between the slots 30are the words Paid and Due, the word paid being disposed over the worddue so that when the indicating finger 29 is in the upper end of therelated slot 30 it will indicate that the collection has been paidby theperson whose name appears above said slot, while on the other hand ifthe finger 29 is at the lower end of the slot 30 it will indicate thatsuch person has not paid what is due. It will be obvious that i whencoin is inserted through aV slot i into the desired compartment it willmove along the slide-way 34 and engage the` rear end of the lever 28 androck said lever to the dotted line position shownv 1n Fig. 3 and thusmove the finger 29 from the lower end of the slot 30 to the upper end ofsaid slot. Under normal conditions the weight of the forward end of thelever 28 is such that the finger 29 will always'be held in the lower endof the slot 30 by gravity.

Theinember D constitutes the lowermost member of the device while themember C constitutes an intermediate member and it may be here statedthat as many of these intermediate members may be employed as desired.The lower member D includes a front wall and a bottom wall 36 togetherwith side walls 37 disposed against the side members 1l and 12 of theJframe A. The front and bottom walls 35 and 36 are'connect'ed by aplurality of partitions 38 forming compartments 39 in each'of which ismounted a mechanism similar to the mech` anism mounted in each of thecompartments The front wall 35 of the member D is r disposed inoverlapping relation to the lower portion of the front wall 2l to formthe requisite coin receiving slot 39. Formed on the bottom wall 36 arespaced lugs 40 connected by a pivot rod 41 and rotatable Copies of thispatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing theCemmissienei`Vet Patents, .Y

on this rod 41ar'elugs42 formedintegraln for receiving respective bolts45 of the locks 19. By this construction it will lldenobvious that thedoor 43 can be releasedl by opera-ting the locks "191iand then swung toopen "fivi'tha: door 43 whichl in closed position Y constitutes the rearwall of the device. This `door 43 Acarries a plurality of keepers 44eating with each compartment and .further y having a vertical slot in.its front wall com'-` municating with each compartment', an indicatinglever pivoted ineach compartment, a finger on .one end of said leverengaged in the slot, said lever being normally held by gravity inposition to dispose the finger at the lower end of theslot ltoindicatfenon-V pay1nent and said lever beingv operated by the weight of va .coininserted in the slot to a position to dispose the-finger in the upper 1end of theslot to'indicate pavment. Y f' In `testimony whereof, 1 aix myasigna# ture, in the presence of two 'witnesses'.

FRANK vv. LANCASTR; Y

Washington, D. C.

